The Black Panther Lives
by JustAnotherEveryDayNerd
Summary: Amanda goes to Wakanda, searching for something.
1. Chapter 1

As Amanda bounced along in the back of the truck, she replayed the plan through her head. She looked around her, at the women that surrounded. Then the bouncing stopped. She heard men talking, and saw lights being flashed around. A bark. Gunshots. She then heard several sounds of thuds. One of the women sitting next to her climbed out. She carefully poked her head out of the back of the truck, and saw the woman, another woman, and a man in a black suit. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she strained to hear. She discovered that the woman's name was Nakia. After everyone was sure they were safe, they climbed out of the truck.

Nakia told everyone to get the boy back to his people, before walking away. The woman in red walked towards them, and knocked her spear on the ground once.

"You will speak nothing of this day." She commanded. Everyone nodded, and thanked the people. The woman nodded, smiled, and they all walked away. Within seconds, Amanda saw a ship hover in the sky, before taking off. Her eyes followed it for as long as they could. As the people were collecting things, she grabbed a small gun from one of the unconscious men, and slowly separated from the group, walking in the direction the ship was heading.

 **~Wakanda will no longer watch from the shadows~**

As she walked further, she saw a small river, then a mountain that followed. Her eyes slowly scanned her surroundings, and she sighed softly. Amanda began quickly making her way up the mountain. She traveled for several hours without rest, until she came across a farm. She stole one of the horses, and trotted off. Within a few hours, she phased through an illusion. By then it was the next day. Afternoon, she would guess. She got off the horse, and let it run home. Amanda cautiously ventured in. As she navigated her way through the crowd, she made her way closer to the palace. She knew full well they weren't just going to let jer waltz in, but it seemed they were short on guards. Still enough to kick her butt, but short. Amanda looked around, and noticed the same ship she saw last night heading towards the waterfall. Suddenly, the water cleared away, to reveal platforms. Her eyes widened in amazement. Sje looked around you, then began a light jog towards the cliff, sometimes breaking with a walk.

As she walked through a small market, her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she hadn't had any food since supper last night. She walked past a couple carts, and grabbed a loaf of bread, and an apple. She paid for them, and resumed her journey. As she made her way to the waterfall, she leapt across some stepping stones, and perched herself above the cliff. As she began biting at the bread, she watched the scene before her. She watched an older man dressed in purple, hold a cup over his head. Then he spoke. "The prince will now have the strength of the Black Panther stripped away." He poured something into a man's, whom she assumed to be the prince, mouth. He began jolting a little bit. She couldn't see very well, but she was sure it was painful. Then sje heard a beat and looked around, seeing people with their arms crossed over their chests, doing a little dance. The prince then seemed to recover, and stood. The man then spoke in another language. She was taught it though. "Praise the ancestors." They said. The man in purple spoke again. "Victory in ritual combat comes by yield," he paused, "or death." She finished her small loaf of bread, and began eating her apple. He spoke again.

"If any tribe wishes to put forth a warrior, I now offer a path to the throne." Then an old woman spoke. "The merchant tribe will not challenge today." Then another spoke. "The border tribe will not challenge today." A woman, Nakia, made a noise. Then a man next to her spoke. "The river tribe will not challenge today." She wondered how he managed to get that out, considering the giant disk in his mouth. She just thought it would be near impossible. Another spoke. "The mining tribe will not challenge today." She raised a slightly amused eyebrow. The man in purple spoke up again. "Is there any member of a royal blood who wishes to challenge for the throne?" Amanda saw a young girl slowly raise her hand. Everyone gasped. "This corset is really uncomfortable," she started, "so could we all just wrap it up and go home?" Amanda let out a small snort, but luckily the sound of the rushing water drowned it out. The woman next to her grabbed her arm. The young woman let out a tiny yell. "Mother!" She shouted. Amanda looked around, and saw a smile on the prince's face. She nodded to herself. _Must be siblings, friends, or in a relationship,_ she mused. She then heard a shriek, and what sounded like dogs. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What the heck?" She questioned. The noise got louder. Then four men walked out, all wearing war paint. The man in the back wore a mask, resembling a gorilla. The young woman spoke up again. "Are they Jabari?"

"Yes." Her mother responded. The man with the mask walked towards the man in purple, and the prince. The man in purple spoke up, "M'Baku, what are you doing here?"

"It's challenge day." M'Baku responded. He said it in such a way that he sounded like an eager child ready to fight. Like this was the only reason he was here. He walked around, and observed the people. "We have watched and listened from the mountains! We have watched with disgust as your technological advancements have been overseen by a child!" He made his way over to the young girl, and pointed his mace at her. The women in red around her pointed their spears at him, while others presented them in front of the girl. He backed away slowly. "Who scoffs at tradition!" He finished. "And now you want to hand the nation over to this prince," he began making his way back towards the middle, "who could not keep his own father safe." He taunted. The men stared each other down. M'Baku continued. "We will not have it." He stated. "I say we will not have it!" He shouted. "I, M'Baku, leader of the Jabari-"

"I accept your challenge, M'Baku." The prince cut in. The man in purple placed a mask over the prince's head, resembling a panther, while M'Baku pulled his gorilla mask back over his face. M'Baku called his people to his side, and they ran towards them. The prince then called his women over. The woman from yesterday hit her spear against the rock twice, and the women filed in. The man in purple spoke again. "Let the challenge begin!" He hit his spear against the ground once, and got out of the way.

M'Baku began madly swinging his mace around, occasionally smacking against the prince's shield. M'Baku then swung so hard, it knocked the prince off his feet. M'Baku ordered him to stand up. The prince rose, and the fight resumed. The fight went on for a few minutes before M'Baku picked up the prince, and head-butted him in the face, for the prince had lost his mask. The prince's face began bleeding, but he reciprocated with a head-butt of his own. The mother screamed. "Show him who you are!" She yelled. The prince then kneed M'Baku in the face, breaking his mask as well. M'Baku drove a spear into the prince's shoulder. The prince yelled in pain. Amanda winced only slightly. "I am Prince T'Challa, son of King T'Chaka!"

"You can do this T'Challa!" The young woman yelled. T'Challa ripped the spear from his shoulder, and kicked M'Baku, knocking him down. He brought him towards the end of the waterfall, and got him in a headlock. "Yield! Don't make me kill you!" T'Challa pleaded. "I would rather die here!" M'Baku responded. You raised an eyebrow, and threw your apple core to the side. All the tribes began chanting. "T'Challa! T'Challa!" They yelled. "You have fought with honor! Now yield!" T'Challa begged. "Your people need you!" The chanting continued. "Yield, man!" M'Baku tapped T'Challa's leg three times, signaling his surrender. Everyone cheered. M'Baku crawled out from his grasp, and stumbled to his feet. T'Challa stood, and raised his arms in the air in victory. The man in purple spoke up again. "I present to you, King T'Challa!" He yelled, before placing a necklace of teeth around T'Challa's neck. "The Black Panther!" They then hugged. T'Challa placed his arms in an 'x' across his chest. "Wakanda forever!" He shouted. The people echoed him. "Wakanda forever!"

 **~We cannot. We must not~**

The man in purple led T'Challa away, as the tribes split up. Amanda's eyes widened as she saw people heading in her direction. She scrambled to her feet, and clambered to a boat. She slid into the water, and clung to the bottom of the boat. As the boat moved, she hung on with dear life.

When the boat stopped, she waited a few minutes, making sure everyone was out. She came up for air, taking a huge breath in, before climbing onto land, and looked for T'Challa. She saw a purple robe vanish and slowly followed it. She probably had splinters, and her thighs and arms would hurt for days. _This better be worth it,_ she thought. She walked in the cave, and hung in the shadows, watching as the man in purple poured some liquid in T'Challa's mouth, giving him his powers back. The women on the side then began covering him with sand. Amanda crept around the side along the wall and looked at all the purple flowers around her. She grabbed one heart, and uprooted another, before sneaking out the way she came.

I know this was choppy, but this wasn't how I originally wrote this story. Thank you all for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Amanda made her way to a safe location, where she were sure no one would be. She climbed atop a large rock, and slid down the other side, into the shade. She reached in the bag tied to your belt and pulled out a heart-shaped herb. She also pulled out a bowl she had borrowed, and began grinding the herb into liquid. When she finished grinding it, she leaned back on the rock and looked down at the bowl in her hands. Amanda slowly pulled it up to her face, tipped her head back, and drank it. Her guess was correct.

It was excruciating.

She felt as though all her bones were being crushed together, then stretched too far. She bit her hand to contain your scream. When the pain died down, she released her hand. She was bleeding. "Ah, fudge." She commented. Then she felt a rush of….something she couldn't place. She felt a tingle in her hand, causing her to look down. The bleeding had stopped, and her skin was closing. Her eyes widened before she broke out into a huge grin. She stuffed the bowl back into her pouch, and took off running. She was faster than before. A lot faster. Her grin widened, and her eyes shined. She took a leap, and managed to jump up to twenty feet in front of her. She jumped again, and let out a laugh. When she landed, she ran back the way she came. When she got back to the rock, she discovered she wasn't sweating. Heck, she was barely breathing heavier than normal. Amanda recomposed herself, and started heading down to the village, washing, and returning the bowl where she found it. She started heading towards the palace, looking for the king, now certain that wherever he was, interesting things were sure to follow. She took a giant leap and landed on the side of the building. She crawled her way into an open window, and slid through. She saw T'Challa head down a spiral, so that's where she went. She quietly followed, and stayed in the shadows, observing. She looked around, noting that this was a lab. She snapped out of it, upon hearing speaking. She saw the young woman that was at the waterfall earlier. "Who are you taking with you to Korea?" The young woman asked. "Okoye, and Nakia as well." Amanda looked up. Okoye must have been the other woman that was with them. "You sure it is a good idea to take your ex on a mission?"

"Yes. It will be fine, besides you will be on call, should we need backup."

"Yes." The woman replied. She walked away, T'Challa following. "I have great things to show you, brother." Amanda's ears perked up, and she watched more intently. "Here are your communication devices for Korea. Unlimited range, also equipped with audio surveillance system." She said some other science stuff that Amanda didn't understand a word of. T'Challa nodded and walked over to another table. "And what are these?"

"The better question is, WHAT ARE THOSE!?" She yelled. Amanda had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. "Why do you have your toes out in my lab!?" The woman asked. "What? You don't like my royal sandals? I wanted to go old school for my first day."

"Yeah, I bet the elders loved that." She replied sarcastically. "Try them on." She instructed. T'Challa stepped on them, and the rest of the shoe just materialized around his foot. Amanda's eyes widened in surprise. "Fully automated, like the old American movie that Baba used to watch? And I made them completely sound absorbent." The woman explained. T'Challa stomped on the ground a couple times to test them. Next to no noise. With Amanda's enhanced abilities, she could hear a _tiny_ bit. "Interesting." He concluded. "Guess what I call them?" The woman asked. _Sneakers,_ Amanda thought. "Sneakers." The girl concluded, grinning. T'Challa had no expression. "Because you-nevermind." She cut herself off, disappointed that he didn't get the joke. She began walking away, circling the spiral Amanda was currently hiding behind. Thankfully, there weren't many people there, and they were all to engrossed in their work to notice. Amanda changed position, so their backs faced her. "If you're going to take on Klaue, you'll need the best the design group has to offer." The woman gestured at a suit. "Exhibit A."

"My design." T'Challa clarified. Amanda looked the suit up and down. Black, with some patterns, a nice silver necklace, and silver designs on the mask. "Old tech." The woman said.

"Old?" T'Challa questioned, offended. She slapped him lightly on the chest. "Functional, but old." She slightly changed her voice. "Oh! People are shooting at me! Let me put on my helmet!" She mocked, placing her hands around T'Challa's head for emphasis. "Enough." He declared.

"Now, look at these." She pointed to necklaces on models, one silver and smooth, the other gold, with a band under it. She noticed T'Challa looking at the gold one. "Do you like that one?" She questioned. "Tempting," he responded, "but the idea is to _not_ get noticed." He concluded, pointing at the silver one. "This one." After he said this, the girl took her bracelet to T'Challa's neck, and it turned purple. Amanda stood up straighter, trying to get a better view. "Now tell it to go on." The girl said. T'Challa didn't even say anything, and the necklace produced the rest of the suit in the same fashion as the shoes. The mask was slimmer, and in Amanda's opinion, looked less threatening. The woman turned to T'Challa. "It matches the wearer's body, as long as they get scanned by a bracelet." She said. _Well that's useful,_ Amanda thought. "The entire suit fits within the teeth of the necklace." The woman paused. "Strike it." She commanded. "Anywhere?" He questioned. She nodded. "Mmh-hmm."

T'Challa kicked the model in the stomach, sending it flying. "Not that hard, genius!" She scolded. "You told me to strike it. You didn't say how hard."

"I invite you to my lab, and you just kick things around?" She says, beginning to carry the model back. "Well maybe you should make it a little stronger. Hey, hey. Wait a minute." The stomach of the suit was glowing purple, like the girl's bracelet, minutes before. "The nanites absorb the kinetic energy and hold it in place for redistribution." She explained. "Very nice."

"Strike it again in the same spot." She commanded, fiddling with her bracelet. T'Challa turned to her. "Are you recording?"

"For research purposes." She replied. _Oh no,_ Amanda thought. _She literally told him it redistributes power, what is he doing!?_ But nevertheless, he kicked it in the same spot, sending him flying several feet away. His sister laughed at his expense. "Delete that footage!" He commanded. "What!? No!"

"Shuri!" He scolded. "Fine, fine." She grumbled, pushing buttons. "Is it gone?" He asked. "Yeah." She lied. "Very good." He stood, and resituated his shirt. "I will see you later." She nodded, and T'Challa turned to make his way upstairs. Amanda panicked. As he was circling the slope, she moved around it, hoping and praying nobody would see her. When he left, Amanda spent a few minutes getting familiar with the place, hoping to keep a strong mental image in her mind. She climbed out of the lab and left going to explore some more, and think of a plan.

 **~We will work to be an example of how we, ~**

She had thought of a plan, and was currently heading back to the lab to fulfill it. When she got down, she saw that Shuri was inside a car, but it was purple, _they really love the color purple_ , Amanda thought, and transparent. She took this moment of distraction and crept in, grabbing a bracelet off of the table that she had spotted earlier, during her study. Amanda slipped it around her wrist, and placed a note down in its place before leaving.

Shuri stood, from being plopped on the ground, seeing as the car exploded. She walked back over to her work station and resumed, until something caught her eye. Her eyebrows furrowed, walking over to it. She picked up the note and read it silently to herself. It read,

 **Make a silver necklace for another suit. If you don't, someone's going to get hurt. Someone you love.**

 **Choose wisely.**

 **-Your new Friend**

 **Oh, I wouldn't tell anyone either. That could only get someone hurt quicker.**

Shuri looked around and stuffed the note in her dress, biting her lip. She rubbed at her temples, sitting down. She put her head in her hands, and sighed, before starting to work on another necklace.

Amanda smiled from her perch, and climbed out. She made her way outside, and went back to her rock. Amanda didn't want to use her, there was just no other option. Amanda's boss would be here soon anyway.

 **~Tell me what you thought! Hope you enjoyed it!**


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Amanda went back to check on Shuri's progress. When she resumed her usual hiding spot, she saw them lead a floating stretcher with a man on it. Shuri walked out, and uncovered the blanket. She smiled. "Great, another broken white boy for us to fix. This is going to be fun." She said, with genuine happiness. Amanda moved to get a better look at the man on the table. When she saw his face, she recognized him immediately. Everett Ross. CIA operative, former Air Force pilot, and former Deputy Task Force Commander of the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre. Everyone in her profession knew who he was. As Okoye and Nakia lead the stretcher away, Shuri slowed to a stop. She had a small frown on her face, and her eyebrows were furrowed. T'Challa noticed this. "Shuri," he started, "is there something you want to tell me?" Shuri looked up at him. Her eyes darted around a little bit, before they met his. She shook her head. "No." She lied. T'Challa raised an eyebrow at her, clearly not buying it, but letting it rest, assuming that whatever it was, she would try her best to make the right decision.

They laid him down on a table. When his head hit the pillow, a bunch of information about his vital signs and about an injury hovered above him. Shuri hovered her hand above his chest, and raised it up. A diagram of a spine appeared, with one of the vertebras being red. She looked it over. "He will live." She concluded. She put her hand on Ross's shoulder, smiling, before getting a bling from her bracelet. Amanda's eyebrows furrowed. "W'Kabi is here." She explained, a confused look on her face. T'Challa nodded in acknowledgement, and made his way back up the spiral.

"What is going on brother? Where is Klaue?" He looked down to where Okoye, Nakia, and Shuri were. "He's not here." T'Challa clarified. W'Kabi looked up at him in disbelief. "He slipped through our hands." T'Challa explained. "Slipped?" W'Kabi questioned. "For thirty years your father was in power and did nothing. With you I thought it'd be different. But it's more of the same." He gave T'Challa one last disappointed look before walking away. T'Challa sighed before walking away himself, a determined look on his face. Amanda watched him leave, curious as to where he was going, but since she had a guess what it was about, she remained in her perch, and watched the women work.

 **~As Brothers and Sisters on this Earth, ~**

As Shuri worked on another project, she looked around and placed the now completed necklace on another model. She looked around again, and resumed her previous work. Amanda's eyes shined. She snuck down from her perch, and grabbed the necklace from the model. She went back up as quickly as she came down. When she got back to her spot, she looked the necklace over, looking for traps, and looking at the designs, and detail. When she was satisfied, she slipped it over her neck, and smiled at the fit. She looked back down, and noticed Ross stirring. He opened his eyes, and lifted his head from the table. The information around his head disappeared. He climbed off the table, and the rest of the information disappeared as well. He reached up and felt his back. He began walking around and noticed Shuri sitting at a table. He started walking towards her. "Alright, where am I?" He asked. Shuri jumped, hearing a voice. "Don't scare me like that, colonizer." She instructed. "Colon-what?" He put a hand on his chest. "My name is Everett." Shuri looked him up and down. "Yes, I know." She turned back to her work. "Everett Ross, former air force pilot, now CIA." Ross looked amazed, and shocked. "Right." He said, distractedly. He looked around, before looking back at her. "Okay, is this Wakanda?"

"No, it's Kansas." Everett rolled his eyes at her response. He sighed. "Alright, how long ago was Korea?"

"Yesterday." He shook his head, "I don't think so. Bullet wounds don't just magically heal overnight." Shuri let out a tiny chuckle. "They do here. But not by magic, by technology." She looked up, pointing at all the equipment. She saw a shine, and froze.

Amanda's eyes widened. She quickly jumped to a new spot, and hid the necklace under her shirt.

Shuri looked over at the model, and noticed the necklace missing. Her eyes widened for a split second, and her breathing became heavier. Everett looked at her, and eyebrow raised. "What is it?" He questioned. She looked back at him. "Nothing." She responded. Everett raised his eyebrow higher, clearly not buying it. She noticed this. "I thought I saw something. Turns out I was mistaken. Everything's fine, really." She lied. She wasn't sure if she was lying to him, or herself more. He seemed to accept that, and began looking around. "Don't touch anything." She instructed. "My brother will return soon." She resumed her work, as Ross looked around.

"These, train things … that's magnetic levitation, right?"

"Obviously."

"Obviously," he repeated, "but I've never seen it this …" he paused, looking for the right word, "efficient." His face held a giddy smile. "The light panels, what are they?"

"Sonic stabilizers."

"Sonic-what?" He questioned. Shuri grinned. "In its true form, vibranium is too dangerous to be transported by high speed, so I developed a way to temporarily deactivate it."

"There's vibranium on those trains?"

"There's vibranium all around us." She confirmed, glancing back up at the ceiling. Her worried expression turned into a smirk. "That's how I healed you." She walked back over to her table. She looked up, noticed Ross' confused face, and laughed. There was a bling from her bracelet.

Amanda leaned forward.

Shuri held up her wrist, and an image of Okoye appeared on her hand. Shuri held up a finger to Ross, signaling she would be with him in a moment. Everett looked at it, baffled. "Where is T'Challa?" Okoye questioned. "His komoyo beads have been switched off." Shuri smiled at her. "Well we are not joined at the hip, Okoye."

"Well a man showed up at the border who claims to have killed Klaue." Amanda's eyes must have bugged out of her head. Was she hearing this? She leaned over as far as she would dare.

"What?" Shuri questioned. "W'Kabi is transporting him as we speak to the palace, we need to find your brother." Shuri walked over to a table and made a hand gesture. A man showed up on the screen. Shuri looked the image up and down. "An outsider?"

"No, a Wakandan." Okoye replied. Everett seized this moment to step in. "He's not a Wakandan." He informed, shaking his head. "He's one of ours."

Amanda looked at the image with wide eyes, before taking this moment to exit from the lab.

~~Tell me what you thought!


	4. Chapter 4

Judging by what Amanda heard, she headed in the direction of the palace. When it was in view, she sprinted. She reached a hill, and took a big leap, grinning all the while. Before she hit the building, she summoned the suit she wore in the necklace. It appeared around her, and she used the vibranium on the paws to stick to the wall. She climbed around it, looking for W'Kabi and his men. When she crossed over the throne room, she saw people in it. It looked like they were having a meeting.

T'Challa sat in the throne, while his mother and sister were placed at his left. Okoye was positioned at his right. The doors opened, and revealed Klaue's killer. He had his hands behind his back, probably bound, and was led by W'Kabi and a few of his guards. The man they were leading looked up at the window, and noticed Amanda, but didn't say anything. All he did was send her a small smirk. She dematerialized the mask, and sent him a glare in response.

T'Challa was the first to speak. He spoke in Wakandan. W'Kabi turned to the man. "Speak." He translated. The man looked at T'Challa and said, "I'm staying in your house. Serving justice to a man who stole your vibranium and murdered your people." He said simply. He looked pointedly at T'Challa. "Just as your King couldn't deliver." T'Challa quickly stood, and began walking towards Killmonger. Okoye followed, twirling her spear in her hands, while other members of the Dora Milaje surrounded from the other sides. As T'Challa approached him, Monger simply raised an eyebrow. T'Challa leaned in close, so only he could hear, "I don't care that you brought Klaue. Only reason why I don't kill you where you stand is because I know who you are. Now what do you want?"

"I want the throne." The others in the room laughed. Killmonger wasn't finished yet, though. "Y'all sittin' up here comfortable. Must feel good. There's about 2 billion people all over the world that looks like us." He glanced back up at Amanda, whose face had softened slightly. He looked back at T'Challa. "But their lives are a lot harder. Wakanda has the tools to liberate them all."

"And what tools are those?" T'Challa questioned. "Vibranium." Monger answered. "Your weapons."

"Our weapons will not be used to wage war on the world. It is not our way, to be judge, jury, and executioner for people who are not our own."

"Not your own." He paused. "But didn't life start right here on this continent? So ain't all people your people?"

"I am not king of all people, I am king of Wakanda." He sighed. "And it is my responsibility to make sure our people are safe, and that vibranium does not fall into the hands of a person like you." His mother spoke up. "Son, we have entertained this man for too long. Reject his request." Killmonger looked over T'Challa's shoulder. "Oh I ain't requesting nothin. Ask who I am."

Shuri spoke from the back. "You're Erik Stevens. An American black operative. A mercenary nicknamed Killmonger. That's who you are."

"That's not my name, princess." He turned to T'Challa. "Ask me, king."

"No."

"Ask me."

T'Challa turned around, raised his hand, and began walking back to the throne. "Take him away." He instructed. W'Kabi's men rushed forward, and grabbed Erik's arms.

One of the men on the council's curiosity got the better of him. He asked in Wakandan, "Who are you?" Erik replied in Wakandan.

"I am N'Jadaka, son of Prince N'Jobu! I found my daddy with panther claws in his chest!" Amanda casted her eyes downward, as her eyebrows pinched together, and her mouth set into a frown. But Erik was far from done. "You ain't the son of a king, you the son of a murderer!"

T'Challa's mother spoke up. "You're lying! Lies!"

W'Kabi spoke as well. "I'm afraid not, Queen mother." He then held up a ring identical to the one around T'Challa's finger. It hung on a chain. One of the women spoke. "The descendant of N'Jobu."

"Hey, Auntie."

W'Kabi walked forward, placing the ring in Queen Ramonda's hands.

"I'm exercising my blood right." Erik declared. "The challenge for the mantle as king. And Black Panther."

The Queen walked towards her son. "Do not do this, T'Challa."

Another spoke up. "He is the son of Prince N'Jobu. It is in his right."

"He has no rights here," she responded. The same man that asked who Erik was, spoke again. "The challenge would take weeks to prepare!"

"Weeks?" Erik questioned. "I don't need weeks. The whole country ain't got to be there, I just need him." He looked at T'Challa, who was now staring out the window in thought. Amanda had moved so she was higher up, out of view. "And somebody to get me out of these chains."

T'Challa was inspecting the ring in his hand. His mother spoke again. "T'Challa, what do you know of this?" He didn't answer her. Instead, his comment was directed at Erik. "I accept your challenge."


	5. Chapter 5

W'Kabi's men led Erik away, to let him prepare for the challenge. The brought him to a room, and shoved him in, closing and locking the door behind him. He turned, and looked at the lock door in disgust. His eyes moved down a little, and he held a tiny smirk. "Hey, sis."

Amanda walked out of the shadows. "What on earth was that!?" He turned to look at her. "What was what?"

"This was not the plan." She scolded. He shrugged. "Wasn't yours."

"We're a team, Erik. And it just so happens that you killed one of the people involved in this team." He swatted his hand in the air. "We didn't need him." He sat down on the bed. "Besides, his goal was different."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "That's not the point, Erik!" She pointed in the direction of the door. "He could have helped us! And now, thanks to you, our trio's down to two." She held up two fingers, and a sarcastic smile. "Guess what that means?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "This is going to be a lot harder."

He shook his head. "He wasn't that much help anyway. We had to rescue him, remember? He's not all that."

"Well, _we_ didn't. I was here, accomplishing things." The suit materialized around her again. "You better be glad I managed to get this without a fuss." He looked back up at her. She put the suit back in the necklace again. "Everything will be alright." He shrugged. "Calm down."

"You could have at least _told me_ you were going to kill him." She ran a hand down her face, and let out an exasperated sigh. "This team thing has to be a two-way street." He looked back up at her. "I know. I'm sorry."

Amanda's eyebrows raised in shock, her eyes held a warmer and less angry tone, and she's sure that if she didn't force it to remain closed, her jaw would've hit the floor. He never apologized. He always just told her to suck it up, and stop being a baby. She felt her eyes sting, and she pressed a hand to it, trying to relax it. She pulled her hand off her face to look at it, and she noticed she was crying. She looked back at him, and he held a slightly amused, but sorry smile. Her brows furrowed. "What?"

He let out a tiny chuckle, looking to the ground then to his right. "Don't make me say it again."

"Say it again." She pleaded. "Please." Her voice broke a little and she flinched inwardly. She didn't want him to see her this weak, but seeing as he was also in a weak moment, she decided it was only fair.

He bit his lip, before looking back up at her. "I said I'm sorry." She couldn't help it. An uncontrollable grin spread across her face. He grinned as well. "What?" He questioned, a smile on his face. Amanda sat down next to him on the bed, and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry too, for losing my temper and yelling." He let out a chuckle and shrugged. "I deserved it." She smiled up at him, before taking a deep inhale, then letting it out through her mouth. "I love you."

He smiled and looked down at her, putting an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. "I love you, too."

They sat there like that for a few minutes, just enjoying the company. A knock was heard at the door. Both of them shot their heads up. Amanda leapt out of his grasp, and into the shadows, where she summoned her suit again. The man behind the knock spoke. "Prince N'Jadaka, the tournament will start soon. Are you ready?"

"Give me a minute! I'll be right out!" He shouted in response. There was silence from the other end. Amanda stepped out of the shadows, her mask now off. Erik embraced her in a hug. "Good luck." She whispered. "I don't need it." She playfully slapped him on the back. He smiled. "But thanks."

Amanda shook her head. "You're such a doofus." He chuckled, and kissed the top of her head. They separated, and he looked her up and down. "Ya know, you don't look very threatening. You're pretty short." She elbowed him in the ribs lightly, as the mask came over her face. "You're such a jerk." She walked over to the window, and began climbing out. "See you there." He nodded, and watched her until she disappeared. His smile faded. He put on a determined face and walked over to the door. He opened it, and was met with two guards on the other side. They reached to grab his arms, but he pulled them free, walking calmly ahead of them, preparing himself for what was about to happen.

~~~Are you surprised?


	6. Chapter 6

The man in purple, whose name Amanda learned to be Zuri, applied face-paint on T'Challa. The king cast a challenging expression to Erik, who was pacing back and forth, before stopping to examine the spear given to him. He looked it up and down, and snapped it in half for better and easier handling.

"He'll never beat T'Challa." Shuri told her mother. "He should have just come for the first challenge, and gotten it over with."

"The king will now have the power of the Black Panther stripped away." Zuri spoke, pouring the liquid into T'Challa's mouth. As the ritualistic dancing started, Zuri looked at Erik before casting his eyes downward, looking upset. Amanda furrowed her brows.

Suddenly, Nakia stepped out of the mountain and stood next to Okoye. Okoye spoke. "Where is Everett Ross?"

"I locked him in the office. He's not going anywhere."

Erik began pacing, impatient for his opportunity. T'Challa tried to get him to back down. "This is your last chance. Throw down your weapons, and we can handle this another way."

Erik shoved his weapons in the ground in frustration, before pacing again. "I've lived my entire life waitin' for this moment." He began undoing his outer shirt. "I trained. I lied. I killed. Just to get here." As he took his shirt off, you could see the scars that littered his body. Ones that he'd given himself. "I killed in America, Afghanistan, Iraq; I took life, from my own brothers and sisters right here on this continent."

He reached down and plucked his weapons from the Earth. "And all this death," he pointed the tip of the spear accusingly at T'Challa, "just so I could kill you."

There was a silence that filled the air. No one dared speak. If they even knew what to say. A voice cut through the thick of the quiet. It was Zuri. "Let the challenge begin."

 ** _~Should treat each other~_**

They charged each other. Swinging and kicking in a fast blur. Amanda watched in only slight interest, seeing as she knew who the victor would be.

Erik smashed on T'Challa's shield, holding nothing back. Amanda could see the terror in T'Challa's eyes, as he had to back up with every hit.

T'Challa managed to get Erik's feet out from under him at one point. While Erik lay on his back, T'Challa pointed his weapon at him. "Yield!"

Erik quickly rose, and they clashed some more. T'Challa sliced Erik's cheek with the edge of his blade. Erik sliced one of T'Challa's legs in return.

"Snap out of it, T'Challa!" Shuri yelled.

Erik cut T'Challa's stomach, and left arm before unarming him and stabbing him in the lower abdomen. The Queen gasped.

T'Challa ripped the blade out of himself, only to get pummeled to the ground seconds later. "Come on, get up." Nakia whispered.

Erik stood over the King. "This is for my father." He raised his weapon over his head, ready for the kill. He began bringing it down, until something stopped it. "Erik!" Erik turned to the man. Zuri held his staff under Erik's blade.

T'Challa lay on the ground. "Zuri, no."

"Stop." Zuri commanded, knocking Erik's weapon out of his hands. Okoye spoke up.

"Zuri."

"Zuri, don't." The Queen pleaded. Zuri continued anyway.

"I am the cause of your father's death. Not him."

Amanda's eyebrows pinched together in distaste. Erik stared at the man in a mix of shock and fury.

"Take me."

Amanda's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She looked at Erik, but already knew his decision. His face turned into a scowl. "I'll take you both, Uncle James!" He yelled, before stabbing Zuri in the chest. She sighed and looked down at her lap in a mix of anger, pity, and betrayal. A noise broke her out of her thoughts.

"No! No, no!" T'Challa yelled, scrambling over to where the man lie. He continued yelling, but to no avail.

Amanda looked away, just before a tear slipped her eye.

"Is this your king? Huh?" Erik questioned. Amanda turned back to the group. T'Challa took a mad swing at Erik, who simply backed up. "Is this your king?" He asked again. T'Challa took another mad swing, and Erik blocked it easily, punching him in the stomach, and kneeing him in the head. He began walking around again. "The Black Panther, who's supposed to lead you into the future?"

"Come on, brother!" Shuri encouraged. One of the women of the Dora Milaje spoke up. "Is there nothing that can be done?" Okoye remained silent.

T'Challa was scrambling to his feet. "Him?" Erik questioned. "He's supposed to protect you." T'Challa attacked Erik again, who lifted him over his shoulders, and began walking towards the edge of the cliff.

Several people were telling him to stop, begging him. He wouldn't listen. He was deaf to their pleas, blinded by rage.

With one fluid and swift motion, he hurled the former King of Wakanda off to his watery grave, never to be heard from again.


	7. Chapter 7

As T'Challa's body plummeted, Erik turned to the horrified onlookers. "Nah. I'm your king."

"We have to go now. Now! Let's go!" Nakia urged Shuri and the Queen. As they disappeared into the cliff, Zuri's helper placed a necklace around Erik's neck, showing his place. As he looked at his people, they saluted and he sent a victorious glance Amanda's way. Her face remained neutral as She stood and fled from view. Erik furrowed his eyebrows slightly in confusion, before he was led away to complete the transaction.

 ** _~Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence~_**

Amanda met with Erik as they entered the room. The guards pointed their spears at her, but Erik raised his hand. "She's with me." He explained. They shared looks, but lowered their spears. Erik looked back at her, before sitting in the sand. Amanda sat cross-legged next to him, although out of the sand. She watched as they crushed a heart-shaped herb, and as the woman helped Erik drink it. "Allow the heart-shaped herb give you the powers of the Black Panther, and take you to the ancestral plane."

Erik was soon enveloped with sand. What he saw, Amanda wasn't sure. He sat up with a start, and quickly rose to his feet, hyperventilating. "Breathe, breathe my king." A woman instructed. Amanda stood as well, and placed her hands on his arms. "Shh. It's okay." She soothed. He looked at her, and relaxed a little. Amanda pulled his head into her chest as she sighed. She gently stroked the back of his head, whispering in his ear words of comfort. His breathing evened out, and he pulled away from her. He walked up to the woman. "Heart-shaped herb did that?" He questioned. She nodded.

Suddenly Amanda felt uneasy. She wasn't sure why. She looked around but saw no one, so she assumed it must have been related to Erik. He looked around. "This all of it?"

"Yes. So when it comes time for another king, we'll be ready."

"Another king. Yeah, go ahead and burn all that."

Amanda furrowed her eyebrows. "Erik!" She scolded. He turned to her with a glare. "Last I checked, I'm in charge here." He jabbed a finger into her chest, causing her to take half a step back. "Not you." He determined.

The woman spoke again. "My king, we cannot do that. It is our tradition-"

She was cut off by Erik's hand around her throat. Amanda rushed forward and yanked Erik back, effectively releasing the woman from his grasp. She pressed herr hand on his chest. "Get a grip." She commanded. "You're behaving like a toddler who doesn't get his way." He glared at her, but she refused to back down. He sighed before looking to the other helpers. "Burn it all." He demanded. They made quick work, as Erik watched the flames consume the flowers.

 ** _~We all know the truth:~_**

As Erik made his way to the throne, Amanda followed, standing at his left side. He sat in the throne and took a moment.

He began speaking, but Amanda was busy thinking. She only phased back in when Erik stood. "-already in place. I know how colonizers think. So we use their own strategy against them." He approached Okoye. "We're going to send vibranium weapons out to our war dogs. They'll arm repressed people all over the world, so they can finally rise up and kill those in power. And their children, and anyone else who takes their side. It's time they know the truth about us! We're warriors. The world's gonna start over and this time, _we're_ on top." He sat again. "The sun will never set on the Wakandan Empire." Amanda looked around the room, gauging people's reactions. She looked to Okoye, who looked like she was in an internal battle. Finally, she spoke. "Wakanda has survived so long, by fighting when only absolutely necessary."

"Wakanda survived in the past this way, yes." W'Kabi spoke up. Amanda rolled her eyes. _Suck up,_ she thought. She could tell Okoye wasn't pleased either. "But the world is changing, General, and it is getting smaller. The outside world is catching up, and soon, we will be the conquerors, or the conquered. I'd rather be the former." Amanda closed her eyes and sighed. _Don't encourage this,_ she thought. Erik smiled, though not a pleasant smile, as he turned to Okoye. "You heard your orders. Let's get to it." He stood, leaving the room.

 ** _~More connects us than separates us.~_**

"Everything is on schedule." W'Kabi spoke, walking with Erik and Amanda.

"Have the spies been alerted?" Erik questioned.

"Yes. Some resistance to our new mission."

Erik turned to him, with an expression on his face that Amanda couldn't decipher.

"But the war dogs in London, New York, and Hong Kong are standing by." He concluded.

Erik nodded. "We'll strike there first." He picked up a vibranium spear to examine it. "The others will come around." He turned the spear around in his hand. "Look at this. A hand-held sonic cannon, powerful enough to stop a tank. Untraceable by metal detectors. We got thousands of them. The world's gonna find out exactly who we are." Erik and W'Kabi turned their backs to Amanda and Okoye. Amanda shot a sympathetic look her way, but she refused to respond to it. She stuck her nose a little in the air, and followed the king. Amanda frowned, but understood perfectly. She would have been upset at herself if she had been in Okoye's shoes. Amanda jogged to catch up, and resumed her place beside Erik. Her rightful place.


	8. Chapter 8

Suddenly, one of the transport ships set on fire, and flew to the ground. Everyone ran to see what happened. Then, a figure stepped out from behind the ship. It was T'Challa. His mask disappeared, and everyone could see his face. "He lives." Okoye said, overjoyed. Everyone else was stunned.

T'Challa began walking forward. "N'Jadaka!"

"Wassup?" Was Erik's response.

"I never yielded! And as you can see," he spread his arms, a smile on his face, "I am not dead!"

"Ah, that challenge stuff is over with!" He responded. He jerked a thumb at himself. "I'm the king now."

"You're too late!" Amanda but in. Erik looked at her, before turning back to the rest of his followers. "Get those planes in the air! Carry out the mission!" He commanded. They all rushed around. Amanda bet if she had been higher, they would have looked like ants, tending to their anthills.

Several planes took off, flying into the sky.

"W'Kabi, kill this clown." Erik instructed. W'Kabi turned to him, shock on his face.

"W'Kabi, the challenge is not complete." Okoye commented.

Before everyone knew it, W'Kabi and all his men were rushing forward at full speed. T'Challa's mask materialized around his face, ready for a fight.

Okoye turned to Erik. "You!" She pointed her spear at him. "Your heart is so full of hatred! You are not fit to be a king!" She hit her spear against the ground twice, and her and all her soldiers were holding spears at Amanda's brother. Amanda glanced at him, seeing what he would do. He grinned as his suit materialized around him. She took this as a signal, and turned on her suit as well. They looked at her in horror and shock, giving Erik a chance to lunge at them. Okoye instructed all but six to go help T'Challa. They charged Erik, but he easily held them off. Amanda fought a few, knocking two unconscious, but not willing to take their lives.

All of the sudden she hears a horn, and several armored rhinos come charging into view. Her eyes widened under the mask. "What the-" She questioned.

"Wakanda forever." Amanda turned just in time to see one of the Dora Milaje fall to the ground. Okoye yelled, and the remaining three charged Erik. Amanda ran the body, and checked for a pulse.

Dead.

"Amanda! What are you doing?!" She turned to the voice, seeing Erik yelling at her. She shook her head, and helped him knock some of them away a few feet.

She hears doors open, and sees Nakia and Shuri come out fully geared, and ready to go. Shuri looked at Amanda and Erik, to T'Challa and back. She glared. "You! It was you!" Amanda looked around and pointed at herself in question. She yelled and shot blasts out of some _sick_ gauntlets. Amanda dodged most of them, but got hit by the last one, dropping her to her knees. She stood, and began stalking towards Shuri. She kept shooting, but Amanda was pressing on, causing Shuri to take steps back.

Her back hit the wall, and she sent out a current of some kind. Amanda leaned back, as it was dematerializing her suit. She let out a yell, as Erik hit one of Shuri's gauntlets, causing it to malfunction. He grabbed her by her working gauntlet, and threw her on the ground. He picked up his sword that he had dropped earlier, and stood over her. "Sup, princess?"

"You'll never be a true king." She spat back. He raised the sword and Amanda's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to say something, but when she did, she heard a voice.

"Shuri!"

Amanda turned, just in time to see T'Challa sprint as fast as he could, taking out several guys with him.

As Erik was going for the killing blow, T'Challa swooped in, and tackled Erik, sending them both down to the subway. Shuri leaned over the edge.

"Brother!" They both shouted, before sharing glances. She looked at Amanda before crawling backwards, never taking her eyes off her. Amanda held up her hands. "Hey! I'm not going to hurt you." She tried to reason, dematerializing her suit to show Shuri she means no harm. She looked at her in shock.

In her eyes Shuri saw kindness. But if she looked deeper, she could see anger, fear, sadness, regret, and coldness. She wasn't sure what to think.

Amanda took a couple more steps forward, until Shuri hit a ledge, forcing her to stop. Amanda kept her hands in the air. "You're unarmed."

"Didn't stop you before." She scowled.

"That was Erik." Amanda sighed, running a hand through your dark hair. She squatted before her. "This wasn't the plan." Amanda stated, rubbing her temples, as Shuri's eyebrows furrowed before getting softer. "Erik didn't tell me what his plans where. He shot our boss, and I didn't find out about that until-" Amanda cut herself off, knowing that bringing up past events couldn't end well.

She sighed. "We were just going to grab some vibranium and get out." She sat next to the Princess, slumping against the edge. "Maybe sell some to the highest bidder." Amanda shrugged, closing her eyes. "This got way outta control. I just don't know what to do now."

"What does your heart tell you?"

"I don't know. I see both sides. On the one hand, I grew up with Erik, he was always my everything. My rock. I owe him everything." She frowned. "After baba died. Our mother we never saw." Amanda turned to Shuri. "We're twins, ya know."

"Really?"

"Yeah. On the other hand, this isn't right. It's-it's at least not the right way of going about it."

Shuri nodded in understanding. "I'll agree to that."

Suddenly she got a message from T'Challa.

"Shuri. Turn on the bottom track."

"The stabilizers will deactivate your suit! You won't have any protection!"

"Neither will he." He reasoned. Amanda nodded, seeing as that was a fair defense. Her eyes grew as she grabbed onto Shuri's arm. Shuri looked at you with a small amount of panic in her eyes. "He won't kill Erik…will he?"

"No. T'Challa does not like to kill." Amanda sighed.

"Sadly, Erik does." She commented, as both girls worriedly looked down below.

Amanda heard a groan, and turned around, seeing Nakia on the ground. She tapped Shuri on the shoulder and pointed.

"Nakia!" Shuri scrambled over, looking at Nakia's wound. Amanda also crawled over. Nakia glanced at her and swung her weapon. "Shuri, watch out!" Amanda's eyes widened as she summoned her suit, stopping the blow. Nakia kept slicing as Amanda caught her weapon in between her hands, ripping it from her.

"She's alright now, Nakia." Shuri looked at Amanda, though seemed slight unsure of it herself. Nakia also seemed skeptical. "Why the sudden change."

Amanda shook her head. "My brother has been going about this all wrong. There must be a better, less violent way."

Nakia shared a look with Shuri, who shrugged.

Shuri then held a focused face.

"Ross, you have to get out of there, now!" Amanda could vaguely hear his response through the earpiece.

"How long have I got?"

There was silence.

"Put me back in."

"Ross!" Shuri yelled. She let out a frustrated yell.

Amanda looked up, and stood, turning her suit back on. Shuri and Nakia looked where she was staring, and saw border tribe men with shields closing around everyone. They blocked people in, in the form of a circle.

W'Kabi rode towards the group on a rhino. "Surrender now! You have three seconds to lay down your weapons. One! Two! Th-" he cut himself off, looking at something. Amanda heard barks.

M'Baku stood on a rock, and picked a guy up, effortlessly. "Witness the might of the Jabari. First hand!" He yelled, throwing the guy into a group. The shield was broken by some Jabari warriors, attacking the people surrounding everyone. The Jabari people began dropping people like flies. Amanda stood there in amazement. Her mask disappeared as she witnessed the miracle around her. M'Baku started swinging at her but stopped, a look of confusion on his face. "Who's this?" He asked pointing at Amanda.

Nakia spoke. "She's-"

"A friend!" Shuri cut in, giving Nakia a look. Amanda smiled at her and she smiled back. M'Baku shrugged, seemingly satisfied with this answer, and began attacking those around her. She grinned before her mask covered her face again. She ran and leapt in the air, letting out a joyful shriek.

 **** **** ** _But in times of crisis the wise build bridges ~_**

As more time passed, the more concerned Amanda grew for Erik and T'Challa. She alerted Shuri and Nakia of where she was going, and leapt into the ground, using her claws to slide down the mountain wall. She looked down, and saw a train running. She looked closer and could see Erik and T'Challa at the edge of the track. Erik held the blade of a spear at T'Challa's neck. "This is it for you, cousin."

T'Challa knocked the blade in the air, and rolled himself and Erik onto the track, barely missing the train. He caught the blade and stabbed Erik in the chest. Amanda's eyes widened as she let out a shriek.

"Erik!" She leapt off the wall and onto the track, joining her family. They both looked at her. Her mask dematerialized, as did theirs. Erik let out a strangled groan. He muttered something to T'Challa, something Amanda didn't catch through her panic. The look on T'Challa's face screamed that he didn't want to have to do that. Erik took in a strangled breath. "Ya know Pop said Wakanda was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen." Another hard breath. "He promised he was going to show it to me one day." He gave a small smile. Amanda choked up at the memory. Erik's face turned into one of much pain. "Do you believe that?"

T'Challa's eyes were watery, as he helped Erik to his feet. He, with Amanda's help, led him to an elevator. He led him to the mouth of a cave where they could perfectly see the sunset. Amanda's eyes watered more, as she rememberd something Erik had said. She helped T'Challa place him down, as she sat on either side of him.

"It's beautiful." Erik observed.

"Maybe we can still heal you." T'Challa offered. Amanda perked up. Erik slowly turned to T'Challa.

"Why? So you can just lock me up?"

"It's better than death." Amanda commented.

"Nah. Just bury me in the ocean. With my ancestors that jumped from the ships. Cause they knew death was better than bondage."

"What about me?" Amanda asked. Tears on the brink of escaping. "What am I supposed to do?" She questioned. Erik paused. She leaned her head on his shoulder. He took her hand in his giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I dunno, sis."

Amanda used her free hand to cover her mouth, trying not to let the sobs escape. "Erik…." She whined. Tears were now freely flowing down her face as he turned and looked at her. "Hey, hey, hey." He soothed, wiping tears off her face. "Everybody dies."

She let out a sob as he left a lingering kiss on her forehead, before pulling the blade out of his chest. He collapsed almost instantly. Amanda's eyes widened in horror. "Erik?" She shook him. "ERIK?" She kept shaking him, in disbelief. T'Challa stilled her movements, hugging her to his chest as she let out a blood-curdling shriek of agony. He rocked her back and forth, gently shushing the broken woman. He planted a kiss on the top of her head, but it didn't help. Her heart felt like it had eight tons suddenly strapped on it, dragging it down to the very depths of her soul. It was something she didn't feel often, and oh, how she wished it would go away.

 ** _~While the foolish build barriers~_**

When Amanda composed herself, T'Challa helped her carry the body to the palace. "What do we do?" She questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"Do we bury the body, or…" she trailed off, not sure how to complete the thought.

"Honor his final wish?" He asked. She nodded, thankful that he's so thoughtful.

"It's really your decision, Amanda." She looked up at him, as more tears threatened to fall. She could see the pain in T'Challa's face, knowing he's the one that caused this. "I-I think w-we should do the for-former." She stuttered, crying again. T'Challa engulfed her in his arms again, trying to help her find some form of comfort. She pulled away, minutes later, thanked him, and asked if it would be alright for her to do this on your own. He, of course, agreed, and she left, carrying her brother's body.

T'Challa watched her walk towards the water, and went inside.

 ** _~We must find a way to look after one another~_**

As Amanda stood with T'Challa, Nakia, and some of his guards, she admired the atmosphere. She turned around just in time to see T'Challa kiss Nakia, and took this as her cue to leave. She stifled a giggle as she crept past them, and into the market place, observing the culture. She stopped at a fruit stand, the same fruit stand she stopped at when you first got here, and fiddled with the chain around her neck. She felt saddened by this immediately, but kept a cool composure. She lifted the ring attached to the chain, and lightly kissed it before releasing it again.

The old man running the stand looked it over. "It's a very nice piece of jewelry. Must mean a lot to you."

She smiled down at it. "Oh, it does. It was my brothers." Her smile turned into a frown, which didn't go unnoticed by the man.

"Ah." He handed her an apple. "Take this apple, love. It's on the house." She looked up at him, a small smile on her face. Suddenly, she rushed forward and wrapped him in a hug, before continuing on her way, eating her apple and playing with her necklace.

 _ **~As if we were one single tribe.~**_


	9. Epilogue

Amanda entered the throne room, where a meeting was being held. She saluted, and stood in the back, towards the wall.

They saluted back, and resumed their discussion.

"What will we do for future kings?"

"N'Jadaka has burned all of the heart-shaped herbs."

"The rein of the Black Panther will die."

Amanda looked down at her necklace before raising her head in thought.

"Not all of them." She whispered, eyes growing wide. "Not all of them!" She shouted, to gain the attention of her leaders.

T'Challa frowned in thought. "What do you mean?"

Amanda ducked her head, before stepping forward, and reaching into her bag, pulling out a heart-shaped herb.

"How did you get this?" One of the leaders asked.

"I, uh. I took it when I first got here." Amanda raised it up. "Could we use it to plant more? Start a new garden?"

One of the leaders took it, and examined it. "It can be done." They determined. Amanda smiled in triumph. All of the sudden, women rushed in, and took the plant, before scurrying back out in the same fashion. Amanda looked to T'Challa.

"The Black Panther lives."


End file.
